Jane Launches New Cannabis Search Site With Real Time Inventory Data

A screenshot of Jane's new cannabis search engine that provides real time inventory updates for consumers. (Courtesy photo)Jane

Leafly and Weedmaps were the first companies to tackle online searching for cannabis, but a new player is entering the field and launching on Monday. Jane is a new online search engine that is combining cannabis product search with real-time availability. The site also uses a smart search function to help customers determine what they might work for a specific need and then locate the product and even reserve it for pick up or delivery.

By tapping into a dispensary's point of sale system, Jane can tell customers which location actually has the product. This is a service that neither Leafly or Weedmaps provides. The company has already signed up eight stores in the Santa Cruz, California, market and founder Socrates Rosenfeld said more dispensaries are requesting to be added. The service is free to the customer with dispensaries picking up the cost when a product is sold.

Rosenfeld saw some weak spots in the first-to-market sites and believed he could improve upon them. He pointed out the Los Angeles Times story in August suggesting that 62% of the reviews on Weedmaps were fake and neither Leafly or Weedmaps could assist in the purchasing effort with real-time inventory information. He is a U.S. Army veteran and MIT graduate and he recognized that by tapping into the dispensaries database, he could help the customers and help the owners. Jane can share with the dispensary owners what their customers are searching for and analyze their buying habits. Jane is also only allowing reviews from people verified by using the service in order to reduce fake reviews.

Jane isn't the only company trying to take market share from Leafly and Weedmaps. Green Rush, Tradiv and Hello MD are all hitting the internet with their search and online marketplaces. Hello MD connects patients to virtual doctors that make recommendations and help customers find the recommended products. Tradiv is a wholesale marketplace and Green Rush is an online ordering and delivery service.

With this many software companies knocking on the doors of dispensary owners, it would seem that Jane will have its work cut out for them, but Rosenfeld is undaunted. “There's no heavy lifting from their end on the platform,” he said. “It's easy to scale and we are already looking at entering the San Francisco and Los Angeles markets.” Jane started with the goal to raise $1 million and instead got $1.2 million. Rosenfeld said he hopes to raise more money in the fall.

With thousands of cannabis products now available, the need for a smart search system is important to customers. If they can get real-time inventory information, it also makes their shopping experience more efficient.